Hi, this is Izumitani from the Ehime Film Commission (Ehime FC)!
Recently, I attended TIFFCOM 2023, the content market held alongside the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF).
What is TIFFCOM?
According to the official website:
“TIFFCOM is Asia’s leading content market, held alongside the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), the only international film festival in Japan accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF). TIFFCOM brings together a wide range of content holders focusing on film, television, and anime, attracting influential buyers not only from Asia but from around the world.”
(TIFFCOM website: https://tiffcom.jp/)
This year, 17 countries and regions participated, including the United States, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center, which served as the venue, was buzzing with energy across all four floors (2nd to 5th).
My Role at TIFFCOM
At TIFFCOM, I participated in a dual role: as a representative of the Japan Film Commission (JFC), and Ehime Film Commission (Ehime FC) when discussing specific regional opportunities.
Who Attended?
The event attracted a diverse range of industry professionals, including:
・Producers
・Directors
・Buyers
・Screenwriters
・Intellectual Property (IP) holders
The Role of IP Holders at TIFFCOM
One unique aspect of TIFFCOM is the presence of IP holders.
IP (Intellectual Property) refers to creations of value generated through intellectual activity, including copyrights, trademarks, and other legal rights protecting original works.
Traditionally, the use of IP has been focused on international broadcasting and merchandising. However, in Japan, film tourism (seichi junrei, or “pilgrimage to sacred locations”) has gained popularity, leading to discussions about how IP can be leveraged in the tourism industry.
At the event, there were various ideas and discussions about utilizing filming locations, including:
“We want to create content featuring filming locations and behind-the-scenes stories.”
“We’d like to integrate filming locations into travel packages.”
“How can we combine traditional culture with filming locations to attract international tourists?”
Of course, there were also many inquiries about filming in Japan, and I had several opportunities to introduce Setouchi (the Seto Inland Sea) and Shikoku as filming destinations.
TIFFCOM vs. the Tokyo International Film Festival
Since TIFFCOM is held alongside the Tokyo International Film Festival, many people associate it with the glamorous red carpet and star-studded events. However, what we do is quite different—we work behind the scenes to facilitate film production and location scouting and promote Japan as a filming destination.
It may not be as flashy as a film premiere, but it’s essential to bringing international productions to Japan and boosting film-induced tourism.
Attending TIFFCOM 2023 reinforced the growing interest in Japan as a filming location and the potential of film tourism to drive regional promotion and economic impact.